Transmission mechanism



H. H. THOMPSON. TRANSMISSION IVIECHANISIVI. APPLICATION FILED AuG.4.1919.

Patented N ov. 16, .1920i 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIIIIII IIIIIIIII uulnn IIII III;

H. H. THOMPSON. TRANSMISSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED Aue.4. 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nwntoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed August 4, 1919. Serial No. 315,131.

a simple and durable mechanism of the character stated. adapted to transmit rotary movement from the engine shaft to the propeller shaft in an eflicient manner and without liability of stripping the teeth from any 'of the wheels or parts of the mechanism.

The elements and parts of the mechanism are so arranged and associated that the proeller shaft is normally rotated in an opposite direction to that in which the engine shaft rotates, however the parts may be manipulated whereby the propeller shaft is re leased from the motorshaft and may remain at a state of rest while the engine or motor shaft is rotating. Furthermore the parts may be manipulated whereby the propeller shaft will rotate in the same direction and in unison with the engine shaft and consequently while the engine shaft constantly rotates in one direction the propeller shaft may remain at a state of rest or be rotated in either of two directions.

The mechanism includes a casing consisting of two halves or partswhich are suitably secured together and which mclose the op.

erating parts. A chuck wheel is fixed to the engine shaft and is provided with gear teeth which mesh with the teeth of pinions journaled in the casing and at the opposite sides thereof. An end portion of the engine shaft enters one end of the casing. An end portion of the propeller shaft enters the opposite end of thel casing and a thrust bearing is provided between the propeller shaft and the casing. AV chuck wheel is loosely liournaled upon the propeller shaft and is provided with teeth which mesh with the said pinions. The propeller shaft is provided within the casing with a squared portion upon which a sleeve is slidably mounted. Means are provided for sliding the sleeve and the said means is operatively connected with a brake mechanism which is adapted to operate upon the rst mentioned chuck wheel when the sleeve is shifted in order to retard the rotation of the engine shaft dur ing the change of the rotation of the pro` peller shaft. Cone disks are carried upon the sleeve and are adapted to engage the chuck gear wheels as the sleeve is shifted thereby fixing or releasing the second mentioned chuck wheel with relation to the propeller shaft.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the transmission mechanism.-

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same with parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same, cut on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a. fragmentary transverse sectional view of the same, cut on the line 4.--4 of Fig. l.

The casing of the transmission mechanism includes an upper half or portion l and a lower half or portion 2. These halves or portions may be secured together in any suitable manner and the casing may rest upon a suitable foundation or support (not shown). The half 2 is provided at its bottom with a valve or cock 3 through which any liquid which may be placed within the casing may be drained or drawn from the same. rlhe casing may contain a suitable amount of oil (not indicated) for the purpose of lubricating the parts contained therein. The halves or portions l and 2 are provided at one end with extensions 4 which constitute parts of a thrust bearing hereinafter explained, and which are adapted to receive a shoulder, to be described, which is mounted upon the propeller shaft of the mechanism.

The portion l is provided at its top side and at one end thereof with an upwardly disposed dome 5 which receives a brake mechanism, hereinafter described, and the portion l is further provided at its top side with an opening 6 and a dentate segment 7.

An engine shaft 8 passes through one end of the casing and is journaled therein. A chuck wheel 9Vis fixed to the end of the engine shaft 8 and is located within the casing. The wheel 9 is provided at its periphery with a cylindrical surface 10 and at its inner face with gear teeth 11. The wheel 9 is located under the dome 5 as best shown, in Fig. l of the drawing. Pinions 12 are journaled for rotation at the opposite sides of the casing` half 2- and their teeth mesh with the teeth 11 of the chuck wheel 9.

'A chuck wheel 16 is loosely journaled' upon the shaft 14 and is located within the casing. rhe wheel 16 is provided at its inner face with gear teeth 17 which mesh with l 'the teeth of the pinions 12. The wheel v16 is also provided with acavity having conical side walls similar to those described in connection with the cavity 13 provided in the wheel 9. rIhe cavities of the said chuck wheels are opposite each other. An antifriction bearing 13 is interposed between the outer side of the chuck wheel 16 and the adjacent end walls of the halves 1 and 2 of the casing and serves to reduce the fric-tion 'between the chuck wheel 16 and the casing.

rlhe inner portion of the shaft 14 is squared as at 19 and the inner extremityy 20 of the shaft 14 is received within the hub of the chuck wheel 9 as best shown in F ig. 1 of the drawing. A sleeve 21 is slidably mounted upon the squared portion 19 of the shaft 14 and iits snugly thereon. The sleeve 21 rotates with the shaft 14. A ring 22 is journaled upon the intermediate portion of the sleeve 21 and the sleeve may rotate within the said ring. The ring 22 is provided at its opposite sides with pins 23.' Brackets 24 depend from the top portion 1 of the casing and are located one at each side of the opening 6. A forked lever 25 is pivoted between the brackets 24 and the fork ends 26 of the lever 25 receive the pins 23 as shown in Fig. 1. The'lever passes through the opening 6 and is provided at a point above the opening with a pawl 27 which is adapted to engage the teeth of the segment 7 whereby the lever 25 is held at an adjusted position.

Cone'disks 2S and 29 are fixed to the ends of the sleeve 21 beyond the ends of the ring 22, and the said disks 2S and 29 are spaced from each other for a distance whereby hut one of the said disks may engage one of the chuck wheels at the same time. rEhe disks 28 and 29 are adapted to enter the cavities of the chuck wheels 9 and 16 respectively when the sleeveis shifted.

A shoe 30 is slidably mounted in the dome 5 and is provided with an under arcuate surface 31 adapted to engage, at times, the periphery of the'chuck wheel 9 and upon the cylindrical surface 10 thereof. The shoe 30 also engages in the side walls of the dome 5 as best shown in Fig. 4. The Vspring 34 normally holds the concaved surface 31 of the shoe spaced from the surface 10 of the wheel9. Arms 35 are pivoted at their lowerends to the intermediate'portion of the shoe 30 and are pivotally connected at their upper ends with a rod or member 36. rEhe rod 36 is pivotally connected at its other end with the lever 25 at a point below the pawl 37 as shown in F ig. 1. The dome 5 is provided with an opening 3T through which the rod 36 passes. A roller 33 is carried at the' upper ends of the arms 35 and is journaled thereto. A flat spring 39 is located in the upper portion of the dome 5. The spring 39 is bowed downwardlyv as best shown in Fig. 1 and its intermediate portion lies in the path of movement of the roller 38 when the arms 35 are swung. ldlhen the arms`35 are moved to a vertical position the roller 3S engages the intermediate portion of the spring 39 and forces the shoe 30 down against the tension of the spring 34 and the surface 31 of the shoe 30 comes in contact with the surface 10 of theA wheel 9. Thus the brake is applied to the wheel Q which Y serves to check the rotary movement of the shaft 3 as the sleeve 21 is being shifted and the lever 25 is being swung. l/V hen the arms 35 are in the positions as indicated in F 1 the roller 38 is out of Contact with the spring 39 and consequently the shoe 39'is lifted. by the spring 34 out of Contact with the surface 19 of the wheel 9 and no resistance is offered to the rotation of the shaft. rlhe same would be the case if the roller 33 as shown in Fig. 1 was swung toward the right hand side of the dome 5.

The operation of the transmission mecha.- nism is as follows:

Assuming that the parts are in the positions as shown in Fig. 1 of the'drawing and the shaft 8 is rotating in oneV direction rotary movement is transmittedby thewheel 9 to the pinions 12 which in turn rotate the wheel '16 in an opposite direction from that in which the wheel 9 is rotating. Inasmueh as the disk 29 is in engagement with the wheel 16 and is mounted upon the sleeve 21 which rotates with the squared portion 19 of the shaft 14 the shaft 14 is rotated in an opposite direction from that in which the shaft 8 is rotatingl Assuming that itis desired to bring the vshaft 14 to a state ofv rest while the shaft 8 is rotating the lever 25 is swung .from the position shown in Fig. 1 to a substantially vertical position Y whereby the disk 29 is moved out of engagement with the `chuck wheel 16 and the disk 28 is moved farther into the cavity 13 of the chuck wheel 9 but not in contact with the walls thereof. At the same time the rod 37 draws the arms 8 to vertical positions whereby the roller 28 engages the spring 39 and the brake shoe 30 is caused to descend and come in contact with the surface 10 of the wheel 9. Thus the brake is applied to the wheel 9 and the rotary movement of the shaftis retarded. rllhis will prevent the engine from racing when the shaft 8 is disconnected from the shaft 14. When it is desired to rotate the shaft 14 in the same direction as that in which the shaft 8 is rotating, the lever 25 is swung to the right to the limit of its path of movement, whereby the disk 28 is brought in contact with the wall of the cavity 13 in the chuck wheel 9 and the disk 16 is moved farther away from the wall of the cavity in the chuck wheel 16. Thus the shaft 8 is connected directly with the shaft 1li by means of the chuck wheel 9, disk 2S and sleeve 21.

F rom the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that a transmission mech- `lnism of simple and durable structure is provided and that the same may be advantageously used for t-ransmitting rotary movement from the shaft of an engine to a propeller shaft, and also the parts are susceptible of manipulation whereby the movement ofthe propeller shaft may be reversed or changed with relation to the rotation of the engine shaft and also the propeller' shaft may remain at a state of rest while the engine shaft is rotating.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a transmission mechanism a casing, alined shafts entering the casing, chuck wheels mounted on the shafts, means operatively connecting the chuck wheels together, disks for engaging the chuck wheels, a lever for shifting the disks, a spring supported shoe mounted in the casing over one of the chuck wheels, and means operatively connecting the shoe with the lever whereby the shoe is caused to engage the chuck wheel when the lever is swung.

2. In a transmission mechanism a casing, a shaft entering the casing, a chuck wheel mounted on the shaft, a disk adapted to engage the chuck wheel, a lever for moving the disk, a spring supported shoe located over the chuck wheel, arms connected with the shoe, a roller carried by the arms, a spring located in the casing in the path of movement of the roller and means operatively connecting the arms with'the lever.

3. In a device of the character described and in combination, a casing having opposite bearings, of a drive shaft entering one end of said casing, a driven shaft in said other end having square portion located in said casing, a chuck gear wheel fixed to said drive shaft and containing the outer end of said driven shaft, a chuck gear wheel loose on said driven shaft arranged to contain said square shaft portion, a coupling hub slidably held on said square shaft portion, arranged to contact with said fixed chuck gear, coupling hub on said shaft arranged to contact with said loose chuck gear, a lever to actuate said coupling hubs, a gear in normal mesh with said chuck gears, a brake shoe held above said fixed chuck gear, a spring to hold said shoe out of engagement, a bow spring located above said shoe, a roller carried by said shoe and means connecting said roller to said lever whereby said shoe is brought into engagement with said fixed chuck gear in one position, as and for the purpose set forth.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HIRAM H. THOMPSON. 

